An apparent abduction in Fargo ended Thursday night in the Meadows neighborhood of Moorhead when the suspected kidnapper was reportedly shot twice and taken to Fargo MeritCare Hospital.
The incident started when a female was pistol-whipped and kidnapped in Fargo, said Deputy Moorhead Police Chief Bob...
Detroit Lakes, 56501

Detroit Lakes Minnesota 511 Washington Avenue 56501

2013-03-04 21:10:42

An apparent abduction in Fargo ended Thursday night in the Meadows neighborhood of Moorhead when the suspected kidnapper was reportedly shot twice and taken to Fargo MeritCare Hospital.

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The incident started when a female was pistol-whipped and kidnapped in Fargo, said Deputy Moorhead Police Chief Bob Larson. The suspected kidnapper stopped the car at O'Reilly Auto Parts in Moorhead, 2537 Highway 10 East, and went into the business to reportedly rob it at gunpoint, he said.

The attempted robbery with a handgun was reported to law enforcement at 9:10 p.m., Larson said. It is unknown if the suspect took anything from O'Reilly. He took off on foot toward The Meadows golf course in the area of 401 34th St. S. when he saw the police coming.

Two employees in the store at the time of the attempted robbery were not hurt. The kidnap victim stayed at O'Reilly when the suspected kidnapper took off on foot.

After a manhunt that included the use of a K-9 dog and that crossed The Meadows, the suspect was captured in the 3500 block of Eighth Avenue South near Ascension Evangelical Lutheran Church.

Fargo police officers enforce a road block at 34th Street and 12th Avenue South in Moorhead on Thursday night while other officers conduct a search for a suspect. Michael Vosburg / Forum Photo Editor

Fargo police officers enforce a road block at 34th Street and 12th Avenue South in Moorhead on Thursday night while other officers conduct a search for a suspect. Michael Vosburg / Forum Photo Editor

"Shots were fired and the suspect went down," Larson said.

Larson said shots were fired at two locations. It's unknown if the first shots were fired at O'Reilly Auto Parts or as the suspect crossed The Meadows and headed into surrounding neighborhood.

Larson guessed that between 10 and 20 shots were fired.

The condition of the unidentified suspect is unknown.

During the search, a Code Red was issued in the area near The Meadows, said Moorhead Police Chief David Ebinger. He explained that a Code Red is a "reverse 911" where residents were notified to stay in their homes because an armed suspect was in the area.

"We didn't want people to come out and inquire," he said. "It would have made things more difficult for us."

Larson described the situation as "really scary, as far as danger to the people." He said the suspect showed he was willing to kill somebody and use deadly force."

Larson and Ebinger praised the number of law enforcement agencies that responded to the incident.

"We were lucky to have this many people available to us," Larson said.

Fargo police Lt. Joel Vettel said communication between law enforcement and the dispatch center was the key to a successful outcome.

He said it was a "perfect example of how we were able to positively communicate with each other."

Agencies involved were the police departments in Fargo, Moorhead, Dilworth, Glyndon and Hawley, the Clay County Sheriff's Department and the State Patrol.